Colorado Springs strips concrete from West Avenue after a year of testing

City officials in Colorado Springs have removed concrete barriers and reduced the size of pedestrian refuge areas on West Colorado Avenue, ending the initial phase of a one-year street redesign. The changes follow a period of public review where residents and local business owners flagged specific problems with the original infrastructure.

The project, which began with lane realignment and parking adjustments, installed protected crosswalks in September 2026. By mid-October, the city had already altered the design based on community input. The most visible change is the disappearance of the concrete walls that originally bordered the crosswalks.

Ryan Phipps, the city's capital improvements manager, stated that the barriers created a solid wall of concrete that blocked sightlines for pedestrians, especially those of shorter stature. He described the removal as part of an ongoing iterative process to test what works and what does not. The center pedestrian refuge areas were also scaled back after first responders reported that drivers pulling over for emergency vehicles often created blockages at these spots.

Phipps said the city removed those sections to ensure fire and police units have clear access up and down the avenue. He characterized the changes as a balancing act rather than a correction of errors, noting that the test phase is essential for seeing how the design performs in practice.

Local businesses along the corridor are monitoring the adjustments closely. Joe Kliche, manager of Centennial Cuts, a shop selling beef from the family's ranch in Fowler, Colorado, said the store relies on customers being able to reach its door. He noted that the new center lane for parking is helpful for loading and unloading, though managers had expected more additional parking space.

Kliche called the stanchions rising in the middle of the street "a little weird," reflecting mixed reactions to the crosswalk changes. The latest updates reset this portion of the trial period, and city planners are now soliciting further feedback to determine if the new configuration is effective.